Threaded needle package



Feb. 25, 1941. R. B. sToRMs THREADED NEEDLE PACKAGE Filed May l, 1959' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN To@ /LDOV 5. 5 TOP/145,

r )WLM TToP/vfys Feb. 25, 1941. R. B. sToRMS THREADED NEEDLE BACKAGE Filed May l, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .SURFACE f/A P0 IN1/W70? /O/f 5, STOP/145, @y mi@ m v TToF/vfy UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE THREADED NEEDLE PACKAGE Roy B. Storms, Indianapolis, Ind. v Application May 1, 1939, Serial No. 271,034

7 Claims.

This invention relates to means to provide a plurality of threaded needles wherein each individual needle may be used without being limited to any predetermined length of thread. A primary object of the invention is to provide a unit which will carry the threadedneedles and a supply of thread, from which unit a needle may be taken to carry with it the desired length of thread and leave other needles in a threaded condition for subsequent use. of the invention is to provide means wherein the l plurality of needles will be frictionally maintained to have their threaded eyes in alignment so as to permit the thread to be carried through all of the eyes as an end needle may be taken from the unit so as to permit the supply of thread for that removed needle to be drawn from a spool without being subjected to a cutting action or restraining action should the individual needles in the groupbe turned from their proper alignment.

Not only does the invention furnish the advantage of maintaining the group of needles in proper alignment, but the needle holding means is so formed that a standard type of needle may be employed without having to provide any notches or Serrat-ions in the shaft of the needle, the retention means consisting essentially. of a resilient gripping surface being applied about the needles.

A further important advantage of the invention is that the unit may be formed very simply and cheaply, particularly in the threading operations and also in the making up of the container itself.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the initial step of threading the needles;

Fig. 2, a similar View illustrating a modified mode of procedure;

Fig. 3, a top plan view in partial section of one form of unit;

Fig. 4, a side elevation with the outer cover wall broken away in part;

Fig. 5, a vertical longitudinal section on theA line 5-5 in Fig. 3,;

Fig. 6, a transverse vertical section on the line 6*6 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7, a detail on an enlarged scale in section on the line 'l-'I in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8, a view in perspective of a modified form of unit opened;

A further important object- (cl. s-47) Fig. 9, a longitudinal central vertical section through the form as illustrated in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10, a blank in plan View for forming the container shown in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11, a side elevation of the needle carrier unit before being applied to the container in Fig. 8.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring first to that form of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1-7, I form a box-like structure, generally designated by the numeral I5, opening from the top side. On each of theinner side walls are clipped one or more layers I6, herein shown as two in number, of a resilient material such as blotting paper, an inner layer I'I of Smooth liber board or the like being employed to receive the inner ends of `the clips I8, herein shown as two in number. By using the ber board layer I'I, instead of an inner exposed layer of the softer layer I6, the ends of the clips I8 may be clinched over on this inner layer I'I without danger of those ends tearing through that inner layer. As indicated lin Figs. 3 5, the clips are positioned horizontally and in vertically spaced apart relation.

In the rear end of the box I5 are placed one or more spools of thread I9, two such spools being shown. While these spools I9 may be mounted within this end of the box in any suitable manner, a simple forml is to mount them upon a short spindle 2l] which is carried by a rearwardly extending U-shaped piece of `ber board 2| whereby the natural springing apart of the legs of that bracket from their fold lines will tend to grip the spindle 20 and hold it against longitudinal displacement. The spindle projects by its ends from each of the legs of the bracket 2| a suiicient distance to enter the bores of the spools and revolubly retain those spools in position thereon. The bracket 2I is `clipped through its center fold by a clip22 to a transversely positioned partition 23, this partition 23 having rearwardly extending legs contacting the inner sides of the side walls of the box I5. The width of the box I5 is made to be such that the spools I9 may be snugly carried within those side walls and between them and the bracket 2.I, the closeness of fit between those elements tending to prevent spinning of the spools I9 when thread is pulled therefrom.

A length of thread is pulled from one of the spools I9 and carried through a small oriicef24, Fig. 6, and individual needles 25 are threaded on this length one at a time until the desired number are thus threaded. When the desired number of needles have been thus threaded, the thread is gripped on each side of that group of needles and shaken so as to cause the needles to slide one against the other and the thread is pulled tautly to turn the needles to have all of the individual eyes in alignment to permit the thread to pass freely through the entire group. The needles are then gripped by the operator as a unit and inserted downwardly between the inner fiber board layer l1 and the layer I6 of the softer material immediately therebehind. The needles when thus inserted become more or less embedded within the soft paper since the outer ber board layer I1 does not yield to any appreciable extent but serves more or less as an anti-yielding element to maintain the needles in frictional engagement with the yielding paper therebehind. Where a second spool I9 is employed, the same procedure is followed and the needles, after being threaded, are positioned on the other side of the box I5. The free end of the thread is dropped down inside of the box l5. Preferably each side of the box is notched out from its upper edge, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, so that when a needle is to be withdrawn, it may be gripped between the thumb and foreilnger without interference with the box wall. The rst needle is, of course, withdrawn and the thread is pulled outwardly therewith to the desired length and cut or broken oif to leave a free end extending from the next adjacent needle left behind. For convenience, a box-like cover 25 may be employed to have an open end wherein the box l 5 may be inserted within the cover andthus be protected. The space within the box l5 forwardly of the transverse partition 23 may be employed to carry buttons, pins, thimble, and the like.

While it has above been indicated that the thread itself may be carried through the eye of each individual needle in the threading operation, Fig. l, this step may be further simplified by employing a bodkin 21 having an eye through which the thread is initially passed and then pulling the bodkin through the eyes of the individual needles. It is further to be noted that when the bodkin is employed, the needles may be aligned upon that bodkin initially and then while still threaded on the bodkin inserted behind the ber board l1 in the box l5 and then pulled forwardly to carry the thread on through the eyes while the needles are thus retained in alignment. The clips I8 are so selected for lengths and clinching action that the needles 25 will require some effort to push them behind the layer l1 and will resist displacement while a front needle is being withdrawn so that there is always suicient pressure maintained against the aligned needles to maintain that alignment desired.

Referring now to the other form of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 8-11, a carton is formed. from a blank, as indicated in Fig. 10, having a central floor po-rtion 28 with side walls 29 and 30 hinged to its side edges; needle retaining boards 3l and 32 hinged to the upper edges of these side walls 29 and 30 respectively; end walls 33 and 34 hinged to the ends of the floor 28; an upper floor 35 hinged to the top of the end wall 33; a cover 3S hinged to the top end of the other end wall 34; side wall retaining flaps 31 and 38 hinged to the respective ends of the side wall 29, and side wall retaining flaps 39 and 40 hinged to the respective ends of the side wall 33.

The carton is set up as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9 by folding the side and end Walls verticallyvupwardly from the floor 28 and carrying the respective end flaps 31 and 39 inwardly behind the end wall 33 and clipping them thereto by the clips 4I and 42. The other flaps 38 and 4l] are carried inwardly against the inside of the end wall 34 and similarly clipped thereto. One or more spools 43 of thread, herein shown as two in number, are positioned on the floor 28 to rest thereon by their ends and are separated by an inserted U-shaped length of ber board 44 which tends to have its open ends spread apart through the natural elasticity of the board and therebil urge the spools toward their respective ends of the carton. The upper floor 35 is then folded over and downwardly between the side walls 29 and 33 to rest upon the top ends of the spools 43. The side and end Walls of the carton are made to extend a slight distance above the top ends of the spools, this distance being suiicient to permit the two carriers 3| and 32 to be folded over on top of the upper floor 35 and allow the cover 33 to be folded around and downwardly over these two carriers and have a tongue 45 on the outer end of the cover 36 enter and frictionally engage through a transverse slot 46, Fig. 10, provided in the floor 35 adjacent the carton end 33.

A length of thread is carried respectively from each of the spools 43 upwardly through respective holes 41 and 48 in the oor 35. One thread is threaded through a plurality of needles 25 mounted on the needle carrier 3| while the other thread passes through the eyes of a group of needles 25 mounted on the other carrier 32.

To retain the needles 25 in fixed alignment in respect to .their individual eyes, a piece of material 49, Fig. 11, is folded over on itself and positioned on the inside respectively of each of the carriers 3| and 32 and clipped thereto by the clips 5U, these clips being spaced apart one toward the fold line and the other toward the free ends of the material 43. This material 49 is preferably made out of a blotting paper having an outer condensed surface, non-resilient in nature. The non-resilient surface is on the outside of the `folded material so that the softer resiiient part is carried inside. The needles 25 are entered between the free ends of the material 4S and carried down between the clips which maintain the material in compressive yielding engagement therewith.

This modied form gives a very compact unit but does not provide any carrying space beyond the limited space provided above the oor 35 and under the needle carriers 3l and 32 when 1 folded thereover.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the best form as now known to me, it is obvious 'that variations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the followingl claims.

I claim:

1. In a threaded needle package, a carton having a spool holding compartment and a needle holding compartment separated by a partition having as many orifices for the passage of thread from spool to needle as there are spools, spool brake means in the spool compartment, and a pair of paper sheets contacting each other, at least one of said sheets resiliently urging that sheet toward the other and at least one of said sheets having a yielding surface in the nature of blotting paper between which sheets threaded needles in contact with each other are clamped, said sheets being secured to the carton in the needle holding compartment.

2. In a threaded needle package having a plurality of standard smooth shank needles each carrying a closed eye at its top end, and each` needle positioned one adjacent another to have said eyes in alignment one opening into another, said package having Ia spool of thread, and having means supporting the spool in rotative position with a length of said thread carried integrally from the spool through each of said needle eyes, a friction means yieldingly supporting and retaining the needles in said alignment to permit said thread to be drawn freely through the eyes of the remaining needles upon removal of an end needle carrying the thread therewith, comprising at least two layers of paper, one of said layers at least having an unsized surface in the nature of blotting paper turned toward the other layer, and spaced apart means tying the two layers together to permit insertion of said needles between said layers within the tying means.

3. In a threaded needle package having a plurality of standard smooth shank needles each carrying a closed eye at its top end, and each needle positioned one adjacent another to have said eyes in alignment one opening into another, said package having a spool of thread, and having means supporting the spool in rotative position with a length of said thread carried integrallyfrom the spool through each of said needle eyes, a friction means yieldingly supporting and retaining the needles in said alignment to permit said thread to be drawn freely through the eyes of the remaining needles upon removal of an end needle carrying the thread therewith, comprising at least two layers of paper, one of said layers at least having an unsized surface in the nature of blotting paper turned toward the other layer, and spaced apart means tying the two layers together to permit insertion of said needles between said layers within the tying means, said tying means consisting of an upper and lower U-shaped, substantially non-yielding clip, each clip having legs passing through both paper layers and clinched thereover.

4. In a threaded needle package having a thread spool carrier and means yieldingly resisting turning of the spool, a pair of paper sheets pressed one against the other, the inner face of at least one of Said sheets being in the nature of blotting paper, a plurality of needles inserted between said sheets to be frictionally engaged by said one sheet as pressed thereagainst by the other sheet, and means tending to hold said sheets in compressive engagement, said means having thread from the spool initially passed through the eyes of each of said needles.

,l 5. In a threaded needle carton having a side wall portion, a sheet of paper having a surface of the nature of blotting paper clipped to said wall portion, a plurality of needles carrying a common thread through the eye of each and inserted under said paper and under the paper retaining clip, said carton having a wall closing olf a thread spool oompartmentand said Wall having a 'thread passageway, and said spool carrying a length of thread terminating in that length which passes through the said needle eyes. 6. A threaded needle carton having a side wall portion, a sheet of paper having a surface of the nature of blotting paper kclipped to said wall portion, a plurality of needles carrying a common thread through the eye of each and inserted under said paper and under the paper retaining clip, a wall closing olf a thread spool compartment and having a thread passageway, a spool in vs'aid compartment, and said spool carrying a length of thread terminating in that length whichl passes through the said needle eyes, said spool being rotatably mounted on a transverse spindle, and a folded liber board secured to said l,carton to have a portion thereof normally bear :yieldingly against the spool to retard rotation thereof.

.f 7. A threaded needle carton having a side wall portion, a sheet of paper having a surface of the nature of blotting paper clipped to said wall portion, a plurality of needles carrying a common thread through the eye of each and inserted under said paper and under the paper retaining clip, a wall closing off a thread spool compartment and having a thread passageway, a spool in said compartment, and said spool carrying a length of thread terminating in that length which passes through the said needle eyes, said wall portion comprising a wing hinged to a another carton wall and swung therefrom down into thecarton to be spaced above the carton door by said spool, said spool resting on the carton floor.

ROY B. STORMS.

carton wall, and said closing wall being hinged to 

